Stop and search complaints and action taken (2)

Sian Berry: Have you considered helping to rebuild public confidence in stop and search by having a policy similar to that adopted in 2015 by Northamptonshire police, where any officer found to have misused stop and search powers, even once, is prohibited from using this tactic?

The Mayor: I offer my full support to officers using stop and search powers lawfully and professionally. The College of Policing scheme that was piloted in Northamptonshire has now been discontinued because it was deemed impractical. However, we must do all that we can to continue to make progress in allaying concerns and improving what is an effective tool to combat crime and provide public reassurance.
As referenced in Mayor's Question 2019/0270 complaints have been steadily decreasing, but there are other mechanisms for continuing improvement that should also be recognised. These include the Community Monitoring Groups that scrutinise stop and search records and body worn video, as well as the ongoing training regime, which requires new and serving officers to undergo additional training on the use of stop and search to refine their skills. There are clearly established misconduct procedures to deal with any misuse of powers, which if established will result in management action that may involve further training or mentoring from more experienced officers.

Stop and search complaints and action taken (1)

Sian Berry: How many complaints has the Metropolitan Police Service received in each year since 2013 about incidents where a member of the public has been stopped and searched when a PACE section 60 order is in place? Could you provide a breakdown per month for each year?

The Mayor: The number of stop and search complaints received by the police has been steadily decreasing over the last few years. There are a number of possible reasons for this decline, including the ongoing roll out of training for all new and serving police offices on the use of stop and search powers. The introduction of body worn video has been a game changer in that if a complaint is received the footage can be reviewed promptly and the issue resolved without a lengthy investigation. This provides a vital tool in holding the police and public to account.
The MPS complaints recording system does not routinely record under which section of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) the search took place. The system relies on this being specified within the complaint. It is not therefore possible to provide data on how many complaints specifically related to Section 60 stops.
The table below shows complaints received relating to stop and search between 2013 - 2018
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Allegations arising from Stop & Search
610
462
426
481
538
338
Total Allegations Record
12814
13228
12089
12672
11335
8879
S&S allegations as % of total
5%
3%
4%
4%
5%
4%

Congestion Charge (1)

Leonie Cooper: What level would the Daily Congestion Charge now be set at if it had increased at the same rate as rail fares?

The Mayor: The base Congestion Charge daily rate has always been set at a level which reduces congestion by encouraging drivers to think about whether or not they need to drive in Central London. The charge does not increase annually, and all increases to the charge since it was introduced in 2003 have been subject to public consultation.
Had the daily Congestion Charge been increased at the same rate as standard rail fares since 2003, Transport for London estimates that the charge would now be £8.70.

Violence Reduction Unit (5)

Susan Hall: When will you provide a progress report to the Assembly on the Violence Reduction Unit?

The Mayor: Progress is regularly reported on the VRU at key governance meetings such as the Knife Crime Executive as well as the Partnership Reference Group (PRG) whose next meeting is 22 January 2019.
Minutes and documents for the PRG can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/moderngovmb/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=443&MId=6332&Ver=4

Nationals of other EU countries [6]

Andrew Dismore: What estimate have you made of the impact of a hard Brexit on the Metropolitan Police‘s ability to recruit a) officers and b) members of staff in who are nationals of other EU countries?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) do not anticipate any substantial impact on their ability to recruit police Officers and Staff. There are therefore no planned changes to MPS recruitment strategy.
In the case of a hard Brexit, future applicants to the MPS will need to have achieved settled status in the UK and meet the pre-employment requirement of having lived in the UK for 3 years.

Federation of Small Businesses call for a soft start to the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: What consideration have you given to the Federation of Small Businesses call for a soft start to the scheme by TfL writing letters to businesses that have entered the zone with a vehicle that does not meet the emissions standard on 8th April 2019 and state that they have three months to change vehicles or they will receive the backdated charges?

The Mayor: London’s toxic air contributes to thousands of early deaths each year and is putting the health of children at risk. The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is central to my plans to transform the air that millions of Londoners breathe. It is being introduced to benefit the health of all Londoners but this can only be achieved if everyone plays their part.
Rather than a “soft start”, we are ensuring that businesses are aware of the requirements of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) through an extensive awareness campaign, which has already been running for more than six months. My answer to Mayor's Question 2019/0163 sets out the extensive multi-channel marketing campaign being pursued.
In addition, I recognise that some businesses will need help switching to greener transport options, which is why I have announced a £23 million scrappage scheme for micro businesses.

Informing young people of their rights under PACE section 60

Sian Berry: Could you provide details of the information the Metropolitan Police Service has given to schools and youth and community organisations to inform young people of their rights when being stopped and search under PACE section 60?

The Mayor: It is important for young people to know their rights and responsibilities in relation to stop and search. There are various opportunities for youths to obtain information on this. The MPS provide comprehensive information on their website highlighting the rights and responsibilities of the public when it comes to stop and search, it can be found through the following link; https://www.met.police.uk/stopandsearch/
Whenever a stop and search is conducted the subject of a search is offered a record of the encounter, information is available on the back of stop slips about the process. The police are also increasing their use of social media to disseminate information about stop and search, young people of course being regular users of these platforms.
My Office for Policing & Crime produce an information leaflet aimed at young people across London that provides an overview of the law relating to stop and search and what they should expect from an encounter including section 60.

Crime over the festive period

Caroline Pidgeon: How many (i) burglaries, (ii) robberies and (iii) thefts were recorded each day between 19th December 2018 to 2nd January 2019?

The Mayor: Please see below the requested daily data for the period and the major crime classifications specified.
Date - Daily Data
Robbery Offs
Burglary Offs
Theft Offs
19 Dec 2018
103
263
787
20 Dec 2018
125
261
763
21 Dec 2018
109
242
675
22 Dec 2018
120
190
613
23 Dec 2018
85
171
557
24 Dec 2018
73
162
456
25 Dec 2018
29
82
127
26 Dec 2018
37
155
367
27 Dec 2018
106
195
558
28 Dec 2018
97
210
616
29 Dec 2018
107
249
528
30 Dec 2018
92
220
436
31 Dec 2018
92
218
576
01 Jan 2019
125
217
444
02 Jan 2019
89
233
449

Borough-wide stop and search section 60

Sian Berry: Could you provide a list of all dates and times, since 15 May 2018, during which a section 60 PACE order issued by the Metropolitan Police Service covered the area of a whole borough? Could you also provide the borough name in each case?

The Mayor: Please see attached Appendix A for the requested data for the period specified. Please ensure that you read the notes section of the spreadsheet to understand the limitations and construct of the data.

Stop and search section 60 (3)

Sian Berry: How many times has a section 60 PACE order been issued by the Metropolitan Police Service in each London Borough? Could you provide the data for each month from April 2017 to date?

The Mayor: Please see below the requested data for the period specified. It should be noted that the borough is the borough server on which the Section 60 Authorisation was recorded. This is usually (but not always) the geographical location of the borough of the Section 60 authorisation.

Policing (2)

Peter Whittle: How will scrapping the Patrol Plus scheme and therefore removing 339 police officers make London a safer place?

The Mayor: The Met Patrol Plus (MPP) scheme has not been scrapped but is under review.
As I have said before I would like to see this valuable scheme continue, but it does have both financial and operational implications for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).
The financial pressures facing the MPS mean it needs to prioritise resources to fulfil core obligations. Whilst the MPP scheme provides funded officers the commitment to match them with unfunded officers reduces the flexibility of local police leaders to deploy them where they are needed most.
With the MPS being forced to operate with fewer officers due to the Government’s cuts this lack of flexibility is becoming an increasingly difficult challenge to manage.
I am waiting for a revised proposal for local authorities from the MPS to fund officers for specific purposes, which will replace all the current contracts when they become due for renewal and will be available for new applications.
Further information on the future of the scheme will be made available in due course.
Despite the Government’s cuts, in last year’s budget I made available funding to provide for an additional 1,000 than would otherwise be affordable. This has allowed the MPS to continue to recruit officers and increase workforce strength.

Violence Reduction Unit (3)

Susan Hall: How has the new £6.8 million funding for the Violence Reduction Unit been allocated?

The Mayor: The money has been allocated primarily to several local delivery initiatives including community involvement events to drive prioritisation and local commission budgets to address prioritised issues as identified by partners. Funding has also been allocated to a small Central team to continue to improve and build on the VRU delivery model, capabilities of those in the VRU staff and partners, building the evidence base and sharing best practice. It will also cover staff and overheads.

Violence Reduction Unit (2)

Susan Hall: Over how many years will the £6.8 million funding for the Violence Reduction Unit last?

The Mayor: The £6.8 million has been secured for 1 year of spend for the 2019/20 financial period.

Congestion Charge (8)

Leonie Cooper: Will the addition of the Daily ULEZ Charge bring the daily charge up to the same rate as the original Charge in 2003, taking inflation into account?

The Mayor: London’s toxic air contributes to thousands of early deaths each year and is putting the health of children at risk. The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is central to my plans to transform the air that millions of Londoners breathe.
While the ULEZ will operate within the same area as the current Congestion Charge Zone from 8 April 2019, it is a different scheme that will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and does not apply to all vehicles. Only vehicles that do not meet the ULEZ emissions standards will need to pay a charge. Cars and vans pay £12.50 whereas heavier vehicles pay £100 per day. It is designed to discourage polluting vehicles from driving into central London and will operate separately to the Congestion Charge.
The daily Congestion Charge would be £7.95 if it had increased at the rate of inflation since its introduction in 2003. Therefore, the charge is higher than it would have been had it only increased at the rate of inflation.
As I said in my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/0299, the base Congestion Charge daily rate has always been set at a level which encourages drivers to think about whether or not they need to drive in Central London. The charge does not increase annually, and all increases to the charge since it was introduced in 2003 have been subject to public consultation.

Congestion Charge (2)

Leonie Cooper: Has the addition of the T-Charge for the most polluting vehicles brought the current Daily Congestion Charge up to the same rate as the original Charge in 2003, taking inflation into account?

The Mayor: The T-Charge rate only applies to a small proportion of vehicles entering the Congestion Charging zone. It is a surcharge in addition to the daily Congestion Charge, aimed at discouraging the oldest and dirtiest vehicles from entering central London and is therefore not comparable to the Congestion Charge.
The daily Congestion Charge would be £7.95 if it had increased at the rate of inflation since its introduction in 2003. Therefore, the charge is higher than it would have been had it only increased at the rate of inflation.
As I said in my response to Mayor’s Question 2019/0299, the base Congestion Charge daily rate has always been set at a level which encourages drivers to think about whether or not they need to drive in Central London. The charge does not increase annually, and all increases to the charge since it was introduced in 2003 have been subject to public consultation.